And only where God is seen does life truly begin.Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is.We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution.Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship … [Read more...]

Good morning, friends! As Ash Wednesday approaches, I'm thinking about what I will use for spiritual reading during Lent. Every year I have done something a little bit different, but my format is almost always the same: I try to read for about 15 minutes, then prayerfully reflect for a period of time, and then write in a journal. Some years I have focused on reading through a particular part of the Bible, reading a few chapters a day and using those as my spiritual reading. Another year I read … [Read more...]

Speaking of Lenten failure :), one of my failed Lenten promises was adding a period of spiritual reading and journaling to my daily routine. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to consistently keep this promise, and I am finding myself longing for some in-depth spiritual reading this Holy Week. I found a great page at the USCCB website that outlines the 7 Penitential Psalms and the 4 Songs of the Suffering Servant, complete with links to the readings and reflections as well. I hope that this resource … [Read more...]

At the beginning of Lent I felt extremely thankful, almost exuberant, at the healthy arrival of my daughter Josie. Our family had survived another pregnancy with mom functioning at less than full capacity. The pain, sickness, exhaustion, and worry of pregnancy were over. The first difficult postpartum month was behind us. For the first time in 10 months I felt like my body, and our family routine, were headed in the right direction.I felt so thankful and enthusiastic that I wanted to show … [Read more...]